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Ashley Haglund with American Detours, left, gives instructions to a member of the sound crew during filming at Lloyd's Country Store in Westlake Tuesday. At far right, the series cohost Jeff Glunker and host Jael de Pardo, facing camera, speak with store owners Allen and Pamela Seal. (Donna Price / American Press).

American Detours makes stop in Westlake for series on Creole Nature Trail

Filming began Tuesday on a web series that will highlight hot spots along the Creole Nature Trail’s All-American Road.

The tourist attraction received enough online support for it to be featured in the “American Collectors: American Detours”
web series.

The web series is produced by American Collectors Insurance, a Cherry Hill, N.J.,-based company that provides coverage for
collector vehicles.

The Creole Nature Trail will be featured in the series’ second of three webisodes, which shows several classic cars along
the trail.

It was selected from among 12 other
well-known American roads. The other two destinations are the Brandywine
Valley in southeastern
Pennsylvania, and the other stop is West Virginia’s Route 39 and
the Monongahela National Forest.

Laura Packard, vice president of sales and marketing for American Collectors Insurance, is one of about 10 crew members in
town for the shoot.

“We hear great stories from our policy holders all over the country about road trips and what fun things can happen in classic
cars on vacations,” Packard said.

The idea behind the show is to pair a great classic car with a great driving road, she said.

“We didn’t want to spotlight Route 66 or roads you hear about all the time,” she said. “We wanted to feature roads you don’t
hear about quite so much as a way to drive interest into the roads and to feature some fun stops along the way.”

Allen and Pamela Seal, owners of Lloyd’s Country Store, filmed several scenes Tuesday morning for the web series.

“I am amazed by how many are drawn to that back-in-time feel,” Pamela Seal, lifestyle editor for the American Press, said. “I think that is the attraction of the store — that simpler time of life.”

Packard said Lloyd’s Country Store “couldn’t be a more perfect destination for our customers and their love of collectibles.”

“Walking in there, is truly like walking into one of our customers dreams — they would love all of the stuff in there,” Packard
said. “There is just so many collectible items in there that people are so passionate about.”

The store is filled with antique guns, military memorabilia, and vintage toys and advertising. Allen Seal said a few of his
favorite items in the store include a pinball machine, jukebox and Coca-Cola collectibles.

“We want to shine a spotlight on the
area and show the country what it has to offer — what a great detour
they can take,”
Packard said. “People these days are in such a rush to get from
Point A to Point B — that we really wanted to portray an enjoyable
road trip and not be so focused on the destination but the ride
and that is what our goal is.”

The webisode will help bring national exposure to the 180-mile trail, said Anne Taber Klenke, adventure tourism director for
the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“We got the community together to vote online and we won,” Klenke said.

The web series will premiere in late April and each webisode will air a week apart.